Over 125 Vintage Cars & 35 Vintage Two Wheelers Went Through Gurgaon Road
2 Days Grand Vintage Cars Carnival started at Ambience Golf Course, Gurgaon
Gurgaon, 17th February: On Saturday 17th February, Over thousands’ of people gathered at the Ambience Greens, Gurgaon to celebrate the 8th edition of the 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally &Concours Show. The latest edition of this event confirmed the importance of the competition and is now considered to be one of the finest heritage motoring events by both the automotive connoisseurs and collectors alike, who now rate it without a doubt amongst one of the top Concours and Vintage Car Rally in Asia.
Taking India forward on the global heritage motoring map, the 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally was flagged off from India Gate and it concluded at the Ambience Greens, Golf Course, Gurgaon; where the fleet of 125 vintages/classics & 35 Vintage Two Wheeler represented the passion of the best international car connoisseurs and national automotive enthusiasts.The increased international participation and a rise in the number of visitors since the first edition in 2011, illustrates the Indian car collectors’ & global motoring enthusiasts’ fondness for this event.
After the Rally Culmination, 21 Gun Salute inaugurated “The Vintage Car Concours show” and it was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Honourable Shri V.P.Singh, Governor of Punjab, in the presence of many other esteemed personalities including Mr. K.T.S. Tulsi, President, Heritage Motoring Club of India (HMCI) Mr. Luigi Estero, Charge’d’ Affairs, Embassy of Italy, Shri Suman Billa (IAS), Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Mr. Madan Mohan- the man behind the grand rally & show.
Mr. Madan Mohan, Founder & Managing Trustee, 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust said “Celebrating the spirit of motoring, this show narrated the untold legacy & rich cultural heritage of India. An experience, second to none, every year this vintage fable adds a new facet to Indian Motoring Tourism. Each class includes vehicles that have made an impact on the automobile industry in one way or another, and it’s not strange to see cars on the show field that you won’t find anywhere else”.
“The occasion also brought along, an impressive touch of royalty, so integral to vintage cars, as the descendants of a few erstwhile royal families of India participated in the rally with their prized possessions” added Mr. Madan Mohan.
The show field gates opened on Saturday afternoon to welcome in crowds of guests who came to admire the finest automobiles in the world and discover – or rediscover – the elegance of the cars of yesteryear with bodywork sculpted by some of the greatest names in automotive design. The event also welcomed thousands of visitors from around the globe and many eminent guests, royal families, and renowned personalities.
This year the show showcased a wider representation of different makes & marques; the oldest participant being the 1903 Humberette from Mumbai. The event also showcased an array of Rolls Royce cars including the 1908 Silver Ghost, the 1930 Phantom II, the 1938 Phantom III and the 1965 Silver Cloud III, to name a few!
The event also showcased a few last surviving editions, such as the legendary 1939 Delage D-8 from the USA and the 1965 Silver Cloud from the UK. The 1942 Packard 180 Limo the sole survivor of the pre-world war Packard’s along with the restored 1938 Armstrong Sidley, previously owned by Maharaja of Kapurthala was also among the head turners.
21 Gun Salute Concours Show has a long and very strong relationship with Royal Families of India, which is evident from the presence of cars at the show field that were once owned by the ex- maharajas of princely India. The 1935 Chrysler Airstream C 6, owned by Yuvraj Sri Yograj Singh ji Chavda, the 1937 Steyr Daimler 220 owned by Yuvraj Shri Harshvardhan Singh, 1929 341 B Cadillac and 1931 370 A Cadillac, owned by Dhananjai Singh Khimsar are a part of the event this year. Other Vintage cars were participated from Delhi, Kanpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, Chennai, Ahemdabad, Mumbai, Pune & Nagpur.
1922, three liter Bentley (Le Mans) and the 1937 4 ½ ltr Bentley 2 door tourer were also the highlights of the event. The first day of the prestigious 21 Gun Salute Concours Show, 2018 delivered more than its share of fantastic automobiles and historic moments. The 21 Gun Salute Heritage & Cultural Trust, hosted a rally where enthusiasts enjoyed the beauty of great cars amidst a cultural setting. Along with this the event also took up a social cause of raising funds for the children with special needs.
The first day of the event incorporated a full day of colorful cultural fest, representing India’s pride, glory & cultural elegance, along with an exclusive display of vintage & classic cars at Ambience Golf Course Gurgaon. Elegant classical dance performances like Kathak, Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, Odissi& other distinct cultural performances from across the country, like Ghoomar folk dance of Rajasthan, Banchari dance of Haryana State, Nagaland folk dance performance, Uttrakhand folk dance performance and many other cultural & classical performances were a sheer delight to watch.
The jury panel headed by Christian H. (Chris) Kramer – F.I.V.A. Scrutineer & collection advisor (chief judge), also included Quirina Louwman, who has been a judge at Chantilly, since its inception; Rolls-Royce expert par excellence Paul Wood; Peter Larsen, a chronic gearhead; Shin IchiEkko, founder of Maserati Club of Japan; Richard Adatto, one of the world’s experts on French aerodynamic cars; Siegfried Linke, Master Judge at Classic Car Club of America, David Cooper; Adolfo Orsi, known for owning the Maserati automobile maker; Matt Stone; Nigel Matthews; Ben Erickson; Dominik Fischlin; Christoph Grohe; Dr. Mark Moskowitz; Sam Movizio; J. Philip Rathgen; James Wood; Christian Philippsen; H Otto Ferdinand Wachs; Patrick Peter; Claus Mueller; Filip Bourgoo; Mathias Doutreleau; Francois Melcion; Ken Gross; Patrick Rollet; Hugo Modderman; Gianfranco G. M. Gentile; Jochen Mass and many other automotive luminaries, deliberated, long and strong to judge the cars to zero-in on the one that must get the ‘Best’ recognition.
The magnificent vintages & classics, on display at the Ambience Greens, Golf Course, Gurugram, formed a unique ephemeral museum and each automobile showed off their charms with a single aim – to be awarded the Best of Show, the “crème de la crème” at the 21 Gun Salute Concours show field.